NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEWS

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Sunday NCAA Gameday

NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament Betting At Bodog Sportsbook

The Sweet 16 will be set when the final buzzer sounds in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. Will another round of upsets be on the books when the weekend ends, or will all the favorites survive to play next week? Here's a look at the eight tournament contests scheduled for Sunday.

Atlanta Region

Northwestern State (14) vs. West Virginia (6) - 2:40 pm EST
The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, MI

The Demons shocked favored Iowa in the opening round, as Jermaine Wallace hit a clutch three-pointer with less than a second remaining to give Northwestern State a 64-63 upset win. The Demons erased a 17-point deficit in the second half in the game, in which they were 6.5-point underdogs. The Mountaineers breezed through the opening round with a 64-46 drubbing of Southern Illinois. Kevin Pittsnogle led West Virginia with 18 points as they were able to cover the 3.5-point spread. The Mountaineers opened as a 6-point favorite for Sunday's game.

N.C. State (10) vs. Texas (2) - 4:45 pm EST
American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX

The Wolfpack finally got it right when it counted on Friday, as they snapped their four-game losing streak with a 58-52 win over California. Cameron Bennerman had 18 points, including two key three-pointers late to cover the 2-point spread. The Longhorns escaped with a 60-52 win over Pennsylvania in the first round despite a lackluster start to the game. Both P.J. Tucker and LaMarcus Aldridge had double-doubles in the win, but Texas still wasn't able to cover the large 14-point spread. The oddsmakers have gone with Texas for Sunday's game, opening them as 7-point favorites.

Oakland Region

Bradley (13) vs. Pittsburgh (5) - 12:10 pm EST
The Palace of Auburn Hills - Auburn Hills, MI

They celebrated at Bradley this weekend after the Braves won their first NCAA Tournament game in 20 years, 77-73 over Kansas. Marcus Sommerville scored a game-high 21 points as the Braves won as 7-point underdogs. The Panthers shot an incredible 67 percent from the field Friday night to easily knock off Kent State 79-64. Aaron Gray was a perfect 6-of-6 from the field and 5-of-5 from the line to lead the Panthers with 17 points and 13 rebounds, as they covered the 6-point spread. The Panthers opened as a 7-point favorite in Sunday's matchup.

Bucknell (9) vs. Memphis (1) - 2:15 pm EST
American Airlines Center - Dallas, TX

The Bison had Kansas' number last year, and they pulled off another first-round upset Friday night by defeating Arkansas 59-55. Charles Lee and Kevin Bettencourt led the way for Bucknell, combining for 42 of the Bison's 59 points to allow them to win as a 5.5-point underdog. Memphis put plenty of points on the board in their tournament opener, a 94-78 victory over Oral Roberts. Five Tigers scored in double figures with Rodney Carney leading the way with 19 points. The Tigers had little trouble covering the 10.5-point spread. The oddsmakers expect the Tigers to send the Bison packing in Sunday's game after opening Memphis as an 8-point favorite.

Washington Region

George Mason (11) vs. North Carolina (3) - 2:20 pm EST
University of Dayton Arena - Dayton, OH

The Patriots quieted the critics of their at-large bid Friday night with a 75-65 upset win over Michigan State. Will Thomas went 8-of-12 from the field to post a double-double with 18 points and 14 rebounds as George Mason won as a 5-point underdog. The defending champion Tar Heels got off to a shaky start in their opener, a too-close-for-comfort, 69-65 win over Murray State. Freshman Tyler Hansbrough scored 24 points in his first tourney game, but the Tar Heels were unable to cover the 10-point spread. The oddsmakers expect the Tar Heels to advance Sunday, setting them as a 6.5-point favorite versus George Mason.

Kentucky (8) vs. Connecticut (1) - 2:30 pm EST
Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA

The Wildcats came out flat in the first half versus UAB, but got a boost from Bobby Perry to claw their way to a 69-64 victory. Perry posted a career-high 25 points, 19 of which he scored in the second half. Perry's efforts allowed the Wildcats to cover the 2.5-point spread. Connecticut received a wake-up call from Albany in their opener after the Great Danes took a 12-point lead in the second half. Marcus Williams and Denham Brown turned it on as the Huskies' offense broke out to get past Albany 72-59. Williams finished with a game-high 21 points, but UConn was unable to cover the 20-point spread. Not surprisingly the Huskies are the oddsmakers' pick for Sunday's game, opening as a 7.5-point favorite.

 

Minneapolis Region

Georgetown (7) vs. Ohio State (2) - 4:50 pm EST
University of Dayton Arena - Dayton, OH

The Hoyas played a dominant second half Friday night to defeat Northern Iowa 54-49. Georgetown seven-footer Roy Hibbert led the Hoyas with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting in the win, allowing them to cover the 3.5-point spread. The Buckeyes showed their run in the Big Ten this season wasn't a fluke Friday by dispatching Davidson 70-62. Terence Dials and Ron Lewis both netted 19 points in the win, but Ohio State couldn't cover the 10-point spread. The oddsmakers have sided with the Buckeyes in this game, setting them as a 3-point favorite.

Arizona (8) vs. Villanova (1) - 5:00 pm EST
Wachovia Center - Philadelphia, PA

The Arizona Wildcats welcomed Hassan Adams back from suspension with open arms Friday, as the senior guard had 21 points to lead them past Wisconsin 94-75. Arizona shot 59 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point land to easily cover the small, 1.5-point spread. The Villanova Wildcats did not play like a top seed on Friday, but Monmouth didn't play much better in allowing Villanova to pull out a 58-45 win. Allan Ray might not be over that eye injury after shooting 6-of-15 from the field for 19 points, as the Wildcats could not cover the huge 20-point spread. The oddsmakers expect Villanova to win the battle of the Wildcats on Sunday after opening them as a 5.5-point favorite.

NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament Betting at Bodog Sportsbook

Need to learn more about betting on March Madness? Bodog.com has a section of its website designed specifically for both novice and seasoned Madness bettors. The section features articles, continuous live tournament updates, betting strategies, a printable version of the bracket, and more. See: http://www.bodog.com/promotions/march-madness/

The NCAA Basketball Tournament begins on March 16th, 2006, and ends with the national championships final on April 3rd, 2006.

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